June 25, 2025
I grew up Catholic and went to a Catholic elementary school before successfully convincing my parents to let me go to public school with the “normal” kids.
I realized that I was an atheistic at a pretty young age. It’s not a huge part of my identity. I just don’t believe in God or heaven or hell or virgins getting pregnant.
On the whole, religion is a good thing in modern times. The fellas used to really beat the shit out of each other in the name of religion back in the day. True, that still happens today. That part of religion is not good.
The constructive aspects of religion are hope, comfort, community and moral direction. Can’t argue those are horrible things. I would argue they can breed some complacency and a lack of initiative for some. Complacency because you should be grateful for what you have at the present moment. That God will deliver to you what you deserve so there’s no need to get off your ass for anything.
I’ve seen political or social messaging that start with “pray to [fill in the blank],” and those always make me laugh a bit. Change or some outcome usually only happens with action. In my opinion, people do themselves a disservice by keeping their fingers crossed that something, big or small, will happen in their favor by thinking a thought to a higher being. The parts of religion that don’t feel constructive are the ones where you’re wanting, yearning and wishing for something literal to happen in your mortal life.
I do not believe in heaven or being reunited with your loved ones on a fluffy cloud past the pearly gates, but I sure as hell (oops) see the appeal. I picture an outcome of life where I didn’t get to spend enough time with my wife. It would be so nice to believe that it wouldn’t matter if our time was cut short. That we would reunite and have an eternity and no struggles, worries or pain. It’s a calming idea to a worrisome thought.
The worst kind of believers are the ones that lost all agency because they think God is steering the ship. They think that if the big man’s at the wheel, the ship can’t go down.
There isn’t much utility in squandering a mortal life even if you think you’ll be granted an eternity in paradise.
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